Optical adjustable filter sub-assembly

ABSTRACT

A method may include thinning a silicon wafer to a particular thickness. The particular thickness may be based on a passband frequency spectrum of an adjustable optical filter. The method may also include covering a surface of the silicon wafer with an optical coating. The optical coating may filter an optical signal and may be based on the passband frequency spectrum. The method may additionally include depositing a plurality of thermal tuning components on the coated silicon wafer. The plurality of thermal tuning components may adjust a passband frequency range of the adjustable optical filter by adjusting a temperature of the coated silicon wafer. The passband frequency range may be within the passband frequency spectrum. The method may include dividing the coated silicon wafer into a plurality of silicon wafer dies. Each silicon wafer die may include multiple thermal tuning components and may be the adjustable optical filter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims benefit of and priority to Chinese PatentApplication for Invention No. 201711160529.X filed Nov. 20, 2017, whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety

FIELD

The embodiments discussed herein are related to adjustable opticalfilters and adjustable optical filter sub-assemblies.

BACKGROUND

An adjustable optical filter may allow optical signals at differentfrequencies to be used within an optical communication system. Afrequency spectrum of light filtered by the adjustable optical filtermay be adjusted by modifying a temperature of a silicon wafer die in theadjustable optical filter. Additionally, the adjustable optical filtermay be coupled to a substrate in a sub-assembly to thermally isolate theadjustable optical filter.

The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments thatsolve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such asthose described above. Rather, this background is only provided toillustrate one example technology where some embodiments describedherein may be practiced.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method may include thinning a silicon wafer to aparticular thickness. The particular thickness may be based on apassband frequency spectrum of an adjustable optical filter. The methodmay also include covering a surface of the silicon wafer with an opticalcoating. The optical coating may filter an optical signal and may bebased on the passband frequency spectrum. The method may additionallyinclude depositing thermal tuning components on the coated siliconwafer. The thermal tuning components may adjust a passband frequencyrange of the adjustable optical filter by adjusting a temperature of thecoated silicon wafer. The passband frequency range may be within thepassband frequency spectrum. The method may include dividing the coatedsilicon wafer into a plurality of silicon wafer dies. Each silicon waferdie may include multiple thermal tuning components and may be theadjustable optical filter.

In one embodiment, a system may include an adjustable optical filter.The adjustable optical filter may include a silicon wafer die having athickness that is based on a passband frequency spectrum of theadjustable optical filter. The adjustable optical filter may alsoinclude an optical coating disposed on a first surface of the siliconwafer die. The optical coating may filter an optical signal and may bebased on the passband frequency spectrum. The adjustable optical filtermay additionally include a ring heater integrated with the silicon waferdie. The ring heater may adjust a temperature of the silicon wafer diebased on an electrical signal to adjust a passband frequency range ofthe adjustable optical filter. The passband frequency range may bewithin the passband frequency spectrum. The adjustable optical filtermay include a thermal contact pad integrated with the silicon wafer dieand coupled to the ring heater. The thermal contact pad may receive theelectrical signal and pass the electrical signal to the ring heater. Theadjustable optical filter may also include a thermistor integrated withthe silicon wafer die. The thermistor may monitor the temperature of thesilicon wafer die. The electrical signal may be modified based on themonitored temperature. The system may also include a substrate thermallyisolated from the silicon wafer die. The substrate may include a signaltrace electrically coupled to the thermal contact pad. The signal tracemay carry the electrical signal.

In one embodiment, an adjustable optical filter may include an opticalfilter die including a polished first surface and a polished secondsurface opposite the polished first surface. The optical filter die mayinclude a thickness that is based on a passband frequency spectrum ofthe adjustable optical filter. The adjustable optical filter may alsoinclude an optical coating disposed on the polished first surface of theoptical filter die. The optical coating may filter an optical signal andmay be based on the passband frequency spectrum. The adjustable opticalfilter may additionally include a ring heater integrated with theoptical filter die. The ring heater may adjust a temperature of theoptical filter die based on an electrical signal to adjust a passbandfrequency range of the adjustable optical filter. The passband frequencyrange may be within the passband frequency spectrum. The adjustableoptical filter may include a thermal contact pad integrated with theoptical filter die and coupled to the ring heater. The thermal contactpad may receive the electrical signal and pass the electrical signal tothe ring heater. The adjustable optical filter may also include athermistor integrated with the optical filter die. The thermistor maymonitor the temperature of the optical filter die. The electrical signalmay be modified based on the monitored temperature.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. Thefeatures and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained bymeans of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. These and other features of the present inventionwill become more fully apparent from the following description andappended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention asset forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of thepresent invention, a more particular description of the invention willbe rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which areillustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. The inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example optical communication system;

FIG. 2A illustrates a front view of an adjustable optical filter;

FIG. 2B illustrates a back view of the adjustable optical filter;

FIG. 3 illustrates an adjustable optical filter sub-assembly;

FIG. 4 illustrates another adjustable optical filter sub-assembly;

FIG. 5 illustrates a process diagram to produce an adjustable opticalfilter; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method to produce an adjustableoptical filter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof In the drawings, similarsymbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictatesotherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detaileddescription, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Otherembodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presentedherein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in thefigures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designedin a wide variety of different configurations, all of which areexplicitly contemplated herein.

Generally, the present technology relates to an adjustable opticalfilter and an adjustable optical filter sub-assembly. Opticalcommunication systems may operate within a particular frequency range ineach direction of communication. Filtering optical signals may improveperformance of the optical communication system and may reduce a numberof errors introduced during processing of the optical signal.

According to one or more embodiments described in the presentdisclosure, an adjustable optical filter may be manufactured using asilicon wafer, an optical coating, multiple thermal components, and athermistor. In some embodiments, the silicon wafer may be thinned to aparticular thickness. In these and other embodiments, an optical coatingmay be applied to a surface of the silicon wafer. In these and otherembodiments, multiple ring heaters and thermal contact pads may bedeposited on the optical coating. Additionally or alternatively, theadjustable optical filter may be manufactured using glass materialsinstead of a silicon wafer. In some embodiments, multiple thermistorsmay be integrated with the optical coating. In these and otherembodiments, the silicon wafer including the optical coating may bediced into multiple adjustable optical filters in which each adjustableoptical filter includes a ring heater, at least one thermal contact pad,and at least one thermistor integrated with the optical coating.

In some embodiments, the silicon wafer may be thinned to a particularthickness based on the frequency range that is to pass through theadjustable optical filter. In these and other embodiments, the opticalcoating applied to the surface of the silicon wafer may be configured toprovide additional filtering of the optical signal. Additionally oralternatively, the ring heater and the thermal contact pads on eachadjustable optical filter may be electrically coupled and the ringheater may be configured to adjust a temperature of the silicon waferwithin each adjustable optical filter based on an electrical signalreceived by the thermal contact pads. In some embodiments, thethermistor on each adjustable optical filter may be integrated with theoptical coating to monitor the temperature of the silicon wafer withinthe adjustable optical filter to which each thermistor is included.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example optical communication system 100(hereinafter ‘system 100’), arranged in accordance with at least oneembodiment described herein. In FIG. 1, a direction from left to rightthrough the optical fiber 102 is arbitrarily referred to as east, whilea direction from right to left through the optical fiber 102 isarbitrarily referred to as west. East and west as used herein do notnecessarily refer to cardinal directions but instead are a convenientshorthand to designate relative directions and/or orientation ofcomponents relative to each other.

In the example of FIG. 1, the system 100 includes forty communicationmodules 104 and 106 at each of two ends of the optical fiber 102. Inparticular, in the example of FIG. 1, the system 100 includes fortycommunication modules 104 at a west end of the optical fiber 102 andforty communication modules 106 at the east end of the optical fiber102. In other examples, the system 100 may include some other number ofcommunication modules 104 and 106 at each of the two ends of the opticalfiber 102.

At each end of the optical fiber 102, a first and last of thecommunication modules 104 and 106 (e.g., communication module 1 andcommunication module 40) are depicted and respectively labeled “Bi-DiTRX01” and “Bi-Di TRX40”. Due to space constraints in the drawings,communication modules two through thirty nine are not illustrated ateither end of the optical fiber 102.

In an example embodiment, each communication module 104 and 106 includesa transmitter configured to emit an optical signal that isrepresentative of an electrical signal received from a host device at adesignated frequency (and wavelength) that is different than adesignated frequency (and wavelength) of other optical signals emittedby transmitters of other communication modules 104 and 106 in the system100. The various designated frequencies (and corresponding wavelengths)may be referred to as channels. Each communication module additionallyincludes a receiver configured to receive an optical signal in aparticular one of the channels.

In FIG. 1, each transmitter is labeled “TX” and each receiver is labeled“RX”. The channel assignments for each transmitter and receiver may belabeled according to the format “ChXXY”, where “XX” is a placeholder fora number of the communication module 104 and 106 in which thetransmitter or receiver is included (e.g., “01” for the firstcommunication module 104 and 106 or “40” for the last communicationmodule 104 and 106) and “Y” is a placeholder for the transmissiondirection of the channel (e.g., “A” for eastbound optical signals or “B”for westbound optical signals). Thus, the transmitter in the firstcommunication module 104 at the west end of the optical fiber 102 islabeled “TX Ch01A” where TX designates the component as a transmitterand “Ch01A” designates the particular channel “Ch” assignment for thetransmitter of the first communication module “01” transmitting in theeastbound direction “A.” The above naming convention may analogously beapplied to other channel assignments for other transmitters andreceivers in the system 100.

The system 100 additionally includes an opticalmultiplexer/demultiplexer (hereinafter ‘Mux/Demux’) 108 and 110 at eachend of the optical fiber 102 between the corresponding end of theoptical fiber 102 and the corresponding communication modules 104 or106. In an example embodiment, each of the Mux/Demux 108 and 110 mayinclude a 100 gigahertz (GHz) Mux/Demux.

In the example of FIG. 1, each Mux/Demux 108 and 110 includes fortymodule-side ports and a single fiber-side port. More generally, eachMux/Demux 108 and 110 may include two or more module-side ports, thespecific number of module-side ports depending on the number ofcommunication modules 104 and 106 and/or the number of channels in thesystem 100.

In operation, the left Mux/Demux 108 is configured to receive fortyeastbound optical signals on its forty module-side ports from the fortyleft communication modules 104 and to spatially combine (e.g.,multiplex) the forty eastbound optical signals for output through itsfiber-side port to the optical fiber 102. The forty spatially combinedeastbound optical signals are transmitted eastward through the opticalfiber 102 to the right Mux/Demux 110. The right Mux/Demux 110 isconfigured to receive the forty spatially combined eastbound opticalsignals from the optical fiber 102 through its fiber-side port and tospatially separate (e.g., demultiplex) out the individual fortyeastbound optical signals. The forty eastbound optical signals areoutput through the forty module side ports of the right Mux/Demux 110such that each of the forty eastbound optical signals is provided to adifferent one of the forty right communication modules 106.

Analogously, the right Mux/Demux 110 is configured to receive fortywestbound optical signals on its forty module-side ports from the fortyright communication modules 106 and to spatially combine (e.g.,multiplex) the forty westbound optical signals for output through itsfiber-side port to the optical fiber 102. The forty spatially combinedwestbound optical signals are transmitted westward through the opticalfiber 102 to the left Mux/Demux 108. The left Mux/Demux 108 isconfigured to receive the forty spatially combined westbound opticalsignals from the optical fiber 102 through its fiber-side port and tospatially separate (e.g., demultiplex) out the individual fortywestbound optical signals. The forty westbound optical signals areoutput through the forty module side ports of the left Mux/Demux 108such that each of the forty westbound optical signals is provided to adifferent one of the forty left communication modules 104. Alternativelyor additionally, each Mux/Demux 108 and 110 may include a cyclic arrayedwaveguide grating (AWG), a common AWG, a thin-film filter (TFF), orother suitable Mux/Demux.

The foregoing example assumes that the left communication modules 104include a total of forty modules, the right communication modules 106include a total of forty modules, and each of the left Mux/Demux 108 andthe right Mux/Demux 110 includes forty module-side ports. Embodimentsdescribed herein can analogously be applied to other systems that mayhave a different number of communication modules at opposite ends of anoptical fiber where a Mux/Demux at each end of the optical fiber mayhave a different number of module-side ports.

In the system 100 of FIG. 1, each communication module 104 and 106 mayinclude an adjustable optical filter 113 with a narrowband cyclic orperiodical filter. The configuration of FIG. 1 may accommodate a higherchannel density that allows all eighty channels (assuming forty leftcommunication modules 104 and forty right communication modules 106) tobe implemented in the C-band without requiring any changes to either ofthe two Mux/Demux units 108 and 110 in the system 100.

Each communication module 104 and 106 in the system 100 may include asingle input/output port through which an outbound optical signalgenerated by the transmitter of the communication module 104 and 106 isoutput, and also through which an inbound optical signal received fromthe corresponding Mux/Demux 108 and 110 may be received. In these andother embodiments, each communication module 104 and 106 may include anadjustable optical filter 113 configured to pass the outbound signal andreflect the inbound signal, or vice versa.

In more detail, FIG. 1 additionally includes a transmission spectrum 112of each Mux/Demux 108 and 110 along with port and channel assignments inthe system 100. In FIG. 1, each eastbound channel is assigned to adifferent port of each Mux/Demux 108 and 110 and different transmissionpeak of the transmission spectrum 112 than other eastbound channels,while each westbound channel is assigned to a different port of eachMux/Demux 108 and 110 and different transmission peak of thetransmission spectrum 112 than other westbound channels. Additionally,each eastbound channel is paired with a corresponding westbound channelwhere the two channels in each pair may be spaced by tens of GHz, andboth the eastbound channel and the westbound channel are not onlyassigned to a same optical port, but are also assigned to a sametransmission peak of the transmission spectrum 112. In FIG. 1, theeastbound channels may have about one hundred GHz spacing betweenadjacent eastbound channels, while the westbound channels may also haveabout one hundred GHz spacing between adjacent westbound channels. Thespacing between the eastbound and westbound channel in each pair can befifty GHz, or generally somewhere between thirty GHz and seventy GHz.More generally, assuming the transmission spectrum 112 of each Mux/Demux108 and 110 has transmission peaks with a center-to-center spacingbetween adjacent transmission peaks of A GHz, the spacing between theeastbound and westbound channel in each pair can be 0.5*Δ GHz or in arange from 0.3*Δ GHz to 0.7*Δ GHz.

By pairing the eastbound and westbound channels together at tens of GHzspacing between the two channels of the pair, all eighty channels ofFIG. 1 can be accommodated in the C-band without replacing legacycomponents such as each of the Mux/Demux units 108 and 110. In FIG. 1,each eastbound channel in a pair is illustrated as being at a frequencytens of GHz lower than the westbound channel in the pair. In otherembodiments, the arrangement is reversed with each westbound channel inthe pair being at a frequency tens of GHz lower than the eastboundchannel in the pair.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, a front and a back view of anadjustable optical filter 200. The adjustable optical filter 200 may bethe same or similar to the adjustable optical filter 113 discussed abovein relation to FIG. 1. With combined reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, theadjustable optical filter 200 may be employed to filter optical signals.For example, the adjustable optical filter 200 may be configured as apassband filter, a dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM)thin-film filter, an edge filter, or any other suitable optical filter.In some embodiments, the adjustable optical filter 200 may permit afrequency spectrum of the optical signal to pass through the adjustableoptical filter 200.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may include an optical filter die 230,an optical coating 232, and a ring heater 234. The adjustable opticalfilter 200 may also include at least one of thermal contact pad 238 aand/or thermal contact pad 238 b (collectively ‘thermal contact pads238’). Additionally, the adjustable optical filter 200 may include atleast one of thermistor contact pad 228 a, thermistor contact pad 228 b,thermistor contact pad 228 c, and/or thermistor contact pad 228 d(collectively ‘thermistor contact pads 228’). The adjustable opticalfilter 200 may include thermistor ring 260, which may include a firstthermal conducting portion 258 a and a second thermal conducting portion258 b (collectively ‘thermal conducting portions 258’) along with afirst thermal non-conducting portion 262 a and a second thermalnon-conducting portion 262 b (collectively ‘thermal non-conductingportions 262’).

The optical filter die 230 may include a semiconductor materialconfigured to permit the frequency spectrum of the optical signals topass through. For example, the optical filter die 230 may includeGallium Arsenide, Indium Phosphide, Silicon, glass, crystal, or anyother suitable material. A frequency range of the optical signal that isto pass through the optical filter die 230 may be adjusted by modifyinga temperature of the optical filter die 230. The frequency range may bewithin the frequency spectrum. Likewise, a thickness of the opticalfilter die may be based on the frequency spectrum that is to passthrough the optical filter die 230. For example, the thickness of theoptical filter die 230 may be between two micrometers and fifteenmillimeters. Additionally, the thickness of the optical filter die 230may define a cycle of the adjustable optical filter 200. For example,the spectrum of the adjustable optical filter 200 may be periodic, andthe cycle may include a free spectrum range (FSR), which may bedetermined according to equation 1:

FSR=(λ2)/(2nL),   Equation 1

In equation 1, L may be the thickness of the optical filter die, n maybe the refractive index of the optical filter die, and λ may be thewavelength of the optical signal.

The optical filter die 230 may include a first surface 236 (shown, e.g.,in FIG. 2A) and a second surface 240 (shown, e.g., in FIG. 2B) oppositethe first surface 236. The first surface 236 and the second surface 240may be positioned parallel to each other. The first surface 236 and thesecond surface 240 being positioned parallel may promote properfiltering of the optical signals. Similarly, the first surface 236and/or the second surface 240 may be polished to increase quality of thefirst surface 236 and/or the second surface 240. Additionally, polishingthe first surface 236 and/or the second surface 240 may ensure that thefirst surface 236 and the second surface 240 are parallel.

The optical coating 232 (shown, e.g., in FIG. 2A) may be disposed on thefirst surface 236 of the optical filter die 230. In some embodiments,the optical coating 232 may be disposed on the first surface 236 and thesecond surface 240 of the optical filter die 230. The frequency range ofthe optical signal that is to pass through the optical coating 232 maybe based on the optical coating 232. For example, the optical coating232 include a reflectivity value which may reflect portions of theoptical signals outside of the frequency range that is to pass throughthe adjustable optical filter 200. In some embodiments, the opticalcoating 232 may be deposited on the first surface 236 and/or secondsurface of the optical filter die 230 as a thin film deposit.

The ring heater 234 (shown, e.g., in FIG. 2B) may be integrated with theoptical filter die 230 and may be disposed on the first surface 236and/or the second surface 240 of the optical filter die 230. The ringheater 234 may be configured to adjust the temperature of the opticalfilter die 230 so as to modify the frequency range of the opticalsignals that is to pass through the adjustable optical filter 200. Forexample, the ring heater 234 may adjust the temperature of the opticalfilter die 230 based on one or more electrical signals received from thethermal contact pads 238. Additionally or alternatively, the ring heater234 may be configured to adjust the temperature of the optical coating232 which may adjust the frequency range of the optical signals thatpass through the adjustable optical filter 200.

The thermal contact pads 238 (shown, e.g., in FIG. 2B) may be integratedwith the optical filter die 230. In some embodiments, the thermalcontact pads 238 may be located on the second surface 240 of the opticalfilter die 230. Additionally or alternatively, the thermal contact padsmay be located on both the first surface 236 and the second surface 240of the optical filter die 230. In these and other embodiments, thethermal contact pads 238 may be integrated with the optical coating 232.

The thermal contact pads 238 may be electrically coupled to the ringheater 234 and to an external device. The thermal contact pads 238 mayreceive the one or more electrical signals from the external device. Thethermal contact pads 238 may pass the electrical signal to the ringheater 234.

The thermistor contact pads 228 (shown, e.g., in FIG. 2A) may beintegrated with the optical filter die 230. The thermistor contact pads228 may be located on the first surface 236 of the optical filter die230. Additionally or alternatively, the thermistor contact pads 228 maybe located on the second surface 240 of the optical filter die 230. Insome embodiments, the thermistor contact pads 228 may be located atdifferent corners of the optical filter die 230. Alternatively, thethermistor contact pads 228 may be located along an edge of the opticalfilter die 230. Additionally or alternatively, the thermistor contactpads 228 may be omitted and a single thermistor configured to monitor atemperature of the optical filter die 230 may be attached at a corner ofoptical filter die 230. The thermistor contact pads 228 may include GoldTin (AuSn) solder. In some embodiments, the ring heater 234 and thethermistor contact pads 228 may be located on the same surface of theoptical filter die 230. For example, both the ring heater 234 and thethermistor contact pads 228 may be located on the first surface 236 ofthe optical filter die 230.

The thermistor ring 260 (shown e.g., in FIG. 2A) may be integrated withthe optical filter die 230. The thermistor ring 260 may be located onthe first surface 236 of the optical filter die 230. The thermistor ring260 may be aligned with the ring heater 234. The thermistor ring 260 mayinclude thin film resistor materials. For example, the thermistor ring260 may include platinum, tungsten, tantalum nitride, or any othersuitable thin film resistor material. The thermal conducting portions258 may include thermally conductive materials and the thermalnon-conducting portions 262 may include thermally non-conductivematerials. For example, the thermal conducting portions 258 may includeplatinum and the thermally non-conducting portion may include tantalumnitride. As the temperature of the optical filter die 230 increases ordecreases, a resistance of the thermal conducting portions 258 maychange accordingly and a resistance of the thermal non-conductingportions 262 may remain constant.

The thermistor ring 260 may be configured to monitor the temperature ofthe optical filter die 230 and/or the optical coating 232. The thermalconducting portions 258 and the thermal non-conducting portions 262 maybe positioned in a bridge configuration. For example, a thermistorcontact pad 228 (e.g., thermistor contact pad 228 d) may be electricallycoupled to both the second thermal conducting portion 258 b and thesecond thermal non-conducting portion 262 b, a thermistor contact pad228 (e.g., thermistor contact pad 228 c) may be electrically coupled toboth the second thermal conducting portion 258 b and the first thermalnon-conducting portion 262 a, a thermistor contact pad 228 (e.g.,thermistor contact pad 228 b) may be electrically coupled to both thefirst thermal conducting portion 258 a and the first thermalnon-conducting portion 262 a, and a thermal contact pad (e.g.,thermistor contact pad 228 a) may be electrically coupled to both thefirst thermal conducting portion 258 a and the second thermalnon-conducting portion 262 b.

In some embodiments, a first thermistor contact pad 228 may be provideda reference voltage signal, a second thermistor contact pad 228 may beelectrically grounded, a third thermistor contact pad 228 may beconfigured to monitor a first voltage, and a fourth thermistor contactpad 228 may be configured to monitor a second voltage. The temperatureof the optical filter die 230 may be determined based on a voltagedifference between the first voltage and the second voltage. The voltagedifference between the first voltage and the second voltage may changeas the temperature of the optical filter die 230 increases or decreases.The voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltagemay change as the resistance of the thermal conducting portions 258increase or decrease based on the temperature of the optical filter dieincreasing or decreasing.

For example, thermistor contact pad 228 d may be configured as the firstthermistor contact pad 228, thermistor contact pad 228 b may beconfigured as the second thermistor contact pad 228, thermistor contactpad 228 a may be configured as the third thermistor contact pad 228, andthermistor contact pad 228 c may be configured as the fourth thermistorcontact pad 228. Thermistor contact pad 228 d may be provided thereference voltage signal, thermistor contact pad 228 b may beelectrically grounded, thermistor contact pad 228 a may be configured tomonitor the first voltage, and thermistor contact pad 228 c may beconfigured to monitor the second voltage. The first voltage may changeas the resistance of the first thermally conducting portion 258 aincreases or decreases based on the temperature of the optical filterdie 230 increasing or decreasing. Likewise, the second voltage maychange as the resistance of the second thermally conducting portion 258b increases or decreases based on the temperature of the optical filterdie 230 increasing or decreasing.

FIG. 3 illustrates an adjustable optical filter sub-assembly 300,arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment described herein.The adjustable optical filter sub-assembly 300 may include an adjustableoptical filter 200 and a substrate 342.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may be the same or similar to theadjustable optical filter 113 and 200 discussed above in relation toFIGS. 1-2B. For example, the adjustable optical filter 200 may includean optical filter die 230; an optical coating 232; a ring heater 234; atleast one of thermal contact pad 238 a and thermal contact pad 238 b(collectively ‘thermal contact pads 238’); at least one of thermistorcontact pad 228 a, thermistor contact pad 228 b, thermistor contact pad228 c, and/or thermistor contact pad 228 d (collectively ‘thermistorcontact pads 228’), and thermistor ring 260.

The optical filter die 230 may be the same or similar to the opticalfilter die 230 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Likewise,the optical coating 232 may be the same or similar to the opticalcoating 232 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B.Additionally, the ring heater 234 may be the same or similar to the ringheater 234 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The thermalcontact pads 238 may be the same or similar to the thermal contact pads238 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Likewise, thethermistor contact pads 228 may be the same or similar to the thermistorcontact pads 228 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B.Additionally, the thermistor ring 260 may be the same or similar to thethermistor ring 260 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The substrate 342 may be employed so as to thermally isolate theadjustable optical filter 200. In some embodiments, the substrate 342may include a low thermal conductivity material. For example, thesubstrate 342 may include Zirconia ceramic (ZrO), fused silica, glass,or any other appropriate thermally isolating material.

The substrate 342 may include at least one of signal trace 344 a andsignal trace 344 b (collectively ‘signal traces 344’). The signal traces344 may be electrically coupled to the thermal contact pads 238 and toadditional signal traces located on the substrate 342. The signal traces344 may be employed to provide one or more electrical signals to thethermal contact pads 238. The one or more electrical signals may beprovided to the ring heater 234 to adjust a temperature of the opticalfilter die 230 and/or the optical coating 232 so as to modify thefrequency range of the optical signals that is to pass through theadjustable optical filter 200. The signal traces 344 may include gold,copper, tin, or any other appropriate material for providing electricalsignals. Additionally, the signal traces 344 may be used for bonding theadjustable optical filter 200 to the substrate 342.

The substrate 342 may define a hole 354 that is optically aligned withthe ring heater 234 and/or the thermistor ring 260 located on theadjustable optical filter 200. The hole 354 defined by the substrate 342may permit the optical signals to pass to or from the adjustable opticalfilter 200.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may be located on a front surface 346of the substrate 342. Likewise, the adjustable optical filter 200 may bepositioned parallel to the substrate 342 so that a first surface 236 anda second surface 240 of the optical filter die 230 are positionedparallel to the front surface 346 of the substrate 342.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may be bonded to the substrate 342 ina manner that thermally isolates the adjustable optical filter 200 fromthe substrate 342. In some embodiments, the thermistor contact pads 228of the adjustable optical filter 200 may be bonded to the substrate 342so as to create an air gap between the optical filter die 230, theoptical coating 232, and the ring heater 234 of the adjustable opticalfilter 200. For example, the thermistor contact pads 228 may include athickness of 5-10 μm which may create an air gap of greater than 5 μmbetween the adjustable optical filter 200 and the substrate 342.

Thermally isolating the adjustable optical filter 200 from the substrate342 and/or other devices may reduce power consumption of the adjustableoptical filter sub-assembly 300. Likewise, thermally isolating theadjustable optical filter 200 may permit a more simplified design andlower production cost of the adjustable optical filter 200, which maynot include a fragile membrane structure which may increase mechanicalstability of the adjustable optical filter 200.

FIG. 4 illustrates another adjustable optical filter sub-assembly 400,arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment described herein.The adjustable optical filter sub-assembly 400 may include an adjustableoptical filter 200 and a substrate 342.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may include various components thatare the same or similar to various components of the adjustable opticalfilter 113 and 200 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 1-2B. Forexample, the adjustable optical filter 200 may include an optical filterdie 230; an optical coating 232; a ring heater 234; and at least one ofthermal contact pad 238 a and thermal contact pad 238 b (collectively‘thermal contact pads 238’). Additionally, the adjustable optical filter200 may include a thermistor 464.

The optical filter die 230 may be the same or similar to the opticalfilter die 230 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Likewise,the optical coating 232 may be the same or similar to the opticalcoating 232 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B.Additionally, the ring heater 234 may be the same or similar to the ringheater 234 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The thermalcontact pads 238 may be the same or similar to the thermal contact pads238 discussed above in relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The thermistor 464 may be integrated with the optical filter die 230.The thermistor 464 may be located on the first surface 236 of theoptical filter die 230. In some embodiments, the thermistor 464 may belocated at a corner of the optical filter die 230. Alternatively, thethermistor 464 may be located along an edge of the optical filter die230. The thermistor 464 may be configured to monitor the temperature ofthe optical filter die 230 and/or the optical coating 232. For example,a resistance of the thermistor 464 may increase or decrease as thetemperature of the optical filter die increases or decreases. In someembodiments, the thermistor 464 may be configured as a negativetemperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

The substrate 342 may be employed so as to thermally isolate theadjustable optical filter 200. In some embodiments, the substrate 342may include a low thermal conductivity material. For example, thesubstrate 342 may include Zirconia ceramic (ZrO), fused silica, glass,or any other appropriate thermally isolating material.

The substrate 342 may include at least one of signal trace 456 a andsignal trace 456 b (collectively ‘signal traces 456’) located on a topsurface 448 of the substrate 342. The signal traces 456 may beelectrically coupled to the thermal contact pads 238. For example, thesignal traces 456 may be electrically coupled to the thermal contactpads 238 using silver glue, solder preform, or any other suitablematerial for electrically coupling the signal traces 456 to the thermalcontact pads 238. The signal traces 456 may be employed to provide oneor more electrical signals to the thermal contact pads 238. The one ormore electrical signals may be provided to the ring heater 234 which mayadjust a temperature of the optical filter die 230 and/or the opticalcoating 232 so as to modify the frequency range of the optical signalsthat is to pass through the adjustable optical filter 200. The signaltraces 456 may include gold, copper, tin, or any other appropriatematerial for providing electrical signals. Additionally, the signaltraces 456 may be used for bonding the adjustable optical filter 200 tothe substrate 342.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may be located on a top surface 448 ofthe substrate 342. The adjustable optical filter 200 may be positionedperpendicular to the substrate 342 so that a first surface 236 and asecond surface 240 of the optical filter die 230 are positionedperpendicular to the top surface 448 of the substrate 342. In someembodiments, the top surface 448 may be configured as a solder resistand/or an insulating layer for attaching components via silver glue. Inthese and other embodiments, the top surface 448 may include silicondioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (SiN), or any other suitable material.

The adjustable optical filter 200 may be bonded to the substrate 342 ina manner that thermally isolates the adjustable optical filter 200 fromthe substrate 342. In some embodiments, the adjustable optical filter200 may be bonded to the substrate 324 so as to allow the first surface236 and the second surface of the optical filter die 320 to transferheat from the adjustable optical filter 200 to a surrounding environmentmore quickly and efficiently.

Thermally isolating the adjustable optical filter 200 from the substrate342 and/or other devices may reduce power consumption of the adjustableoptical filter sub-assembly 400. Likewise, thermally isolating theadjustable optical filter 200 may permit a more simplified design andlower production cost of the adjustable optical filter 200, which maynot include a fragile membrane structure which may increase mechanicalstability of the adjustable optical filter 200.

FIG. 5 illustrates a process diagram 500 to produce an adjustableoptical filter 200, according to at least one embodiment described inthe present disclosure. The adjustable optical filter 200 may beemployed to filter optical signals. In some embodiments, the adjustableoptical filter 200 may permit a frequency range of the optical signal topass through the adjustable optical filter 200. Although illustrated asindividual sections, the processes and operations associated with one ormore of the blocks of the process diagram 500 may be divided intoadditional sections, combined into fewer sections, or eliminated,depending on the particular implementation.

A silicon wafer 550 a may be obtained with an initial thickness. Forexample, the initial thickness may be 0.7 mm. Additionally, the siliconwafer 550 a may be obtained with an initial diameter. For example, theinitial diameter may be 150 mm (e.g., 6 inches), 200 mm (e.g., 8inches), 300 mm (e.g., 12 inches), or any other suitable diameter. Thesilicon wafer 550 a may be thinned to produce a thinned silicon wafer550 b with a particular thickness. In some embodiments, the particularthickness may be based a passband frequency spectrum that is to passthrough the thinned silicon wafer 550 a. Additionally, parallelism of afirst surface and a second surface of the thinned silicon wafer 550 bopposite the first surface may be verified. Parallelism of the firstsurface and the second surface of the thinned silicon wafer 550 b mayensure that the frequency spectrum of the optical signals that are topass through the thinned silicon wafer 550 a and is not filtered out.

An optical coating 232 may be disposed on the first surface of thethinned silicon wafer 550 b to produce a coated thinned silicon wafer550 c. Additionally or alternatively, the optical coating 232 may bedisposed on both the first surface and the second surface of the thinnedsilicon wafer 550 b. Multiple thermal tuning components 552 a-e may bedeposited on the coated thinned silicon wafer 550 c. The thermal tuningcomponents 552 a-e may include multiple ring heaters, thermistors, andthermal contact pads, which may be the same or similar to the ringheaters, the thermistors, and the thermal contact pads discussed abovein relation to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The thermal tuning components 552 a-emay be used to modify a frequency range that passes through theadjustable optical filter 200 by modifying a temperature of the opticalfilter die and/or the optical coating.

The coated thinned silicon wafer 550 c including the multiple thermaltuning components 552 a-e may be divided into multiple adjustableoptical filters 200. The coated thinned silicon wafer 550 c includingthe multiple thermal tuning components 552 a-e may be divided such thateach adjustable optical filter 200 includes an optical filter die, aring heater, at least one thermistor, and at least one thermal contactpad.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method 600 to produce an adjustableoptical filter, according to at least one embodiment described in thepresent disclosure. Although illustrated with discrete blocks, the stepsand operations associated with one or more of the blocks of the method600 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks,or eliminated, depending on the particular implementation.

The method 600 may include a block 602, at which a silicon wafer may bethinned to a particular thickness. The particular thickness may be basedon a passband frequency spectrum of the adjustable optical filter.

At block 604, a surface of the silicon wafer may be covered with anoptical coating. The optical coating may be configured to filter anoptical signal. The optical coating may also be configured based on thepassband frequency spectrum.

At block 606, multiple thermal tuning components may be deposited on thecoated silicon wafer. The thermal tuning components may be configured toadjust a passband frequency range of the adjustable optical filter byadjusting a temperature of the coated silicon wafer. The passbandfrequency range may be within the passband frequency spectrum.

At block 608, the coated silicon wafer may be divided into multiplesilicon wafer dies. Each silicon wafer die may include multiple thermaltuning components. Each silicon wafer die may also be configured as theadjustable optical filter.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the method 600without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example,the operations of method 600 may be implemented in differing order.Additionally or alternatively, two or more operations may be performedat the same time. Furthermore, the outlined operations and actions areonly provided as examples, and some of the operations and actions may beoptional, combined into fewer operations and actions, or expanded intoadditional operations and actions without detracting from the essence ofthe disclosed embodiments.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one”or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articlesused to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should beinterpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the barerecitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at leasttwo recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in thoseinstances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C,etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the senseone having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “asystem having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not belimited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and Ctogether, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” wouldinclude but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those withinthe art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting twoor more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, ordrawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities ofincluding one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. Forexample, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include thepossibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are describedin terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize thatthe disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individualmember or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and allpurposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subrangesand combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein canbe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” and the like include the number recited andrefer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges asdiscussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in theart, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a grouphaving 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, agroup having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells,and so forth.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments ofthe present disclosure have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, and that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intendedto be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by thefollowing claims. The present invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from its spirit or essentialcharacteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in allrespects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of theinvention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than bythe foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: thinning a silicon wafer toa particular thickness, wherein the particular thickness is based on apassband frequency spectrum of an adjustable optical filter; covering asurface of the silicon wafer with an optical coating, wherein theoptical coating is configured to filter an optical signal and isconfigured based on the passband frequency spectrum; depositing aplurality of thermal tuning components on the coated silicon wafer,wherein the plurality of thermal tuning components are configured toadjust a passband frequency range of the adjustable optical filter byadjusting a temperature of the coated silicon wafer, wherein thepassband frequency range is within the passband frequency spectrum; anddividing the coated silicon wafer into a plurality of silicon waferdies, wherein each silicon wafer die includes multiple thermal tuningcomponents and is configured as the adjustable optical filter.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising, prior to covering the surface ofthe silicon wafer with the optical coating and after thinning thesilicon wafer, polishing the surface of the silicon wafer.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein depositing the plurality of thermal tuningcomponents on the coated silicon wafer comprises depositing a pluralityof ring heaters on the coated silicon wafer, wherein the ring heatersare configured to adjust the temperature of the coated silicon wafer. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein depositing the plurality of thermaltuning components on the coated silicon wafer further comprisesdepositing a plurality of thermal contact pads on the coated siliconwafer, wherein the thermal contact pads are electrically coupled to oneor more of the ring heaters and are configured to receive an electricalsignal and provide the electrical signal to the ring heaters, whereinthe ring heaters are configured to adjust the temperature of the coatedsilicon wafer based on the electrical signal.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein depositing the plurality of thermal tuning components on thecoated silicon wafer further comprises integrating multiple thermistorswith the coated silicon wafer, wherein the thermistors are configured tomonitor the temperature of the coated silicon wafer and the electricalsignal is modified based on the temperature of the coated silicon wafer.6. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the coated silicon wafer intothe plurality of silicon wafer dies is such that each silicon wafer dieincludes a ring heater, a thermistor, and a thermal contact pad.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising, prior to covering the surface ofthe silicon wafer with the optical coating and after thinning thesilicon wafer, measuring the silicon wafer to ensure parallelism of thesurface.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, coupling asilicon wafer die to a substrate in a manner that thermally isolates thesilicon wafer die from the substrate.
 9. A system comprising: anadjustable optical filter comprising: a silicon wafer die having athickness that is based on a passband frequency spectrum of theadjustable optical filter; an optical coating disposed on a firstsurface of the silicon wafer die, wherein the optical coating isconfigured to filter an optical signal and is configured based on thepassband frequency spectrum; a ring heater integrated with the siliconwafer die and configured to adjust a temperature of the silicon waferdie based on an electrical signal to adjust a passband frequency rangeof the adjustable optical filter, wherein the passband frequency rangeis within the passband frequency spectrum; a thermal contact padintegrated with the silicon wafer die and coupled to the ring heater andconfigured to receive the electrical signal and pass the electricalsignal to the ring heater; and a thermistor integrated with the siliconwafer die and configured to monitor the temperature of the silicon waferdie, wherein the electrical signal is modified based on the monitoredtemperature; and a substrate thermally isolated from the silicon waferdie and including a signal trace electrically coupled to the thermalcontact pad, wherein the signal trace is configured to carry theelectrical signal.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the silicon waferdie is positioned parallel to the substrate and the substrate is furthercoupled to the thermistor so as to create an air gap between the siliconwafer die and the substrate so as to thermally isolate the silicon waferdie from the substrate.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermalcontact pad is located on a second surface of the silicon wafer dieopposite the first surface of the silicon wafer die, the thermistor islocated on the first surface of the silicon wafer die, and the ringheater is also located on the second surface of the silicon wafer die.12. The system of claim 11, wherein the substrate defines a holeoptically aligned with the ring heater, wherein the hole is configuredto pass light to or from the silicon wafer die.
 13. The system of claim9, wherein the substrate comprises a low thermal conductivity material.14. The system of claim 9, wherein the silicon wafer die is positionedperpendicular to the substrate so as to thermally isolate the siliconwafer die from the substrate.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein thethermal contact pad is located on a second surface of the silicon waferdie opposite the first surface of the silicon wafer die, the thermistoris located on the first surface of the silicon wafer die, and thesubstrate is coupled to a third surface of the silicon wafer die,wherein the third surface of the silicon wafer die is not parallel tothe first surface or the second surface of the silicon wafer die. 16.The system of claim 9, wherein the first surface of the silicon waferdie comprises a polished first surface and the silicon wafer die furthercomprises a polished second surface opposite the polished first surface.17. An adjustable optical filter comprising: an optical filter dieincluding a polished first surface and a polished second surfaceopposite the polished first surface having a thickness that is based ona passband frequency spectrum of the adjustable optical filter; anoptical coating disposed on the polished first surface of the opticalfilter die, wherein the optical coating is configured to filter anoptical signal and is configured based on the passband frequencyspectrum; a ring heater integrated with the optical filter die andconfigured to adjust a temperature of the optical filter die based on anelectrical signal to adjust a passband frequency range of the adjustableoptical filter, wherein the passband frequency range is within thepassband frequency spectrum; a thermal contact pad integrated with theoptical filter die and coupled to the ring heater and configured toreceive the electrical signal and pass the electrical signal to the ringheater; and a thermistor mechanically coupled with the optical filterdie and configured to monitor the temperature of the optical filter die,wherein the electrical signal is modified based on the monitoredtemperature.
 18. The adjustable optical filter of claim 17, wherein athickness of the optical filter die is between two micrometers-15millimeters.
 19. The adjustable optical filter of claim 17, wherein theoptical filter die includes at least one of a Gallium Arsenide, anIndium Phosphide, and a glass material.
 20. The adjustable opticalfilter of claim 17, wherein the polished first surface and the polishedsecond surface of the optical filter die are parallel.